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USA gymnasts talk 2nd-place finish after competing without Simone Biles

Simone Biles' teammates stepped up after the superstar gymnast withdrew from team competition at the Tokyo Olympics.
/ Source: TODAY

Simone Biles' teammates are speaking out about what it was like to take part in the Olympic women's gymnastics team competition without one of Team USA's star athletes.

On Tuesday, Biles shocked the world when she withdrew from the team competition at the Tokyo Olympics, but her teammates stepped up to the plate in her absence and ended up taking home a silver medal.

Afterward, TODAY's Hoda Kotb had the chance to speak with the tenacious trio of ladies and asked each of them how they felt when they realized they would have to finish the competition without Biles.

Jordan Chiles, who filled in for Biles on the uneven bars and the balance beam, told Hoda she surprised herself in the moment, despite the immense amount of pressure she was feeling.

"I knew I had to put my feet into her shoes and show the world that no matter what happens, that we can all take the place of somebody who's also great," she said. "It was mind-blowing."

After telling Suni Lee that she had the "meet of (her) life," Hoda asked the gymnast how it felt to experience so much pressure during the competition.

"It was very emotional. There were times when I was breaking down in the arena but I put myself together and I knew what I needed to do," she said.

Lee acknowledged that losing a teammate during such an important moment was extremely difficult, but said she's so proud of the way the team worked together to bring home a silver medal.

"We really did step up to the plate when we needed to and I probably wouldn't have it any other way," she said.

Grace McCallum exuded confidence during the competition and truly put her best game face on throughout the day.

"I just knew that we needed to have a really good day and we all did. I think they really stepped up and showed people what we were made of. We fought till the end," she said.

After withdrawing from the competition, Biles channeled her efforts into being a coach and cheerleader for her teammates. She would later reveal that she was physically fine, but was experiencing emotional challenges.

"Physically, I feel good, I'm in shape," she told Hoda exclusively on TODAY. "Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn't an easy feat, so we're just trying to take it one day at a time and we'll see."